


Telling Lies and Late Night Drives

by AshleysWrittenWords



Series: Tales from the Royal Close Protection Service (RCPS) [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24935011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshleysWrittenWords/pseuds/AshleysWrittenWords
Summary: “We’re talking about the future King of Hyrule,” she was dead serious, but a glint in her eye made him stifle a grin so he could match her demeanor. “The last time a checked your file, it said you were a Hyrulean citizen. Unless that’s changed, that means you are fully entitled to have an opinion and I wish to know it to appease my constituency.”In which Zelda's bodyguard helps her cope with gossip in strange ways.----Another installment of "Tales of the Royal Close Protection Service (RCPS)"! Can be read separately.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Tales from the Royal Close Protection Service (RCPS) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767043
Comments: 17
Kudos: 159





	Telling Lies and Late Night Drives

“Your dress was everything,” Urbosa said as Zelda turned partially to watch pictures of her at the Parliamentary Ball fade in and out on the screen behind them. In the photos, her hair was in light curls and she wore a bright smile for the red-carpet cameras, her rouge lipstick only enhancing the whiteness of her teeth. The dress was a deep, midnight blue that clung to her frame until it cascaded down her hips in an A-line shape. It was a statement for her to wear it as its neckline dipped deeper than any other dress she had worn to official events.

Queen Zelda lightly smiled. “Thank you. I must admit I was rather nervous at the time.”

Nervous was an understatement. A mere hour before making her entrance, it took five people to calm down and reassure her that she would be okay. Malon was even-keeled as always and had ran a marathon in her attempts to comfort her, while her bodyguard sat with her and taught her some military breathing tactic to keep her blood pressure from going through the roof.

“You had us all rapt, Your Majesty,” she grinned slyly, “Who knew wearing blue to a black-tie event would be so striking?”

And with the audience, Zelda laughed a laugh she saved especially for television.

“Thank you,” she repeated. “A very good friend of mine, Malon Lon-Lon, designed it. So I’ll have to forward all your kindness to her.”

“And I hear the dress was auctioned off recently! Why was that?”

“Yes, it was auctioned off to the benefit of a new wildlife sanctuary near the Akkala province,” Zelda nodded at the screen, which showed a glimpse of the animals that live there. “In a week, I’m making a motion in parliament to ordain the same area a national park. Each autumn, Akkala gets thousands of visitors that want to see the gorgeous trees and it would be incredibly beneficial to the locals who benefit from the tourism to protect this forest from further encroachment.”

Urbosa tilted her head. “How can we, as citizens, make an impact to make this happen?”

“Call your local representatives. The biggest hurdle is rallying funding.”

“As it always is with government.”

The audience laughed with Urbosa’s rich cackle.

“Now!” she said, looking down at her call cards. “Your Highness.”

The talk show woman’s sudden seriousness made Zelda straighten. “I feel like I’m about to be interrogated.”

“Oh, no – well – perhaps, but don’t tell that to your squad of RCPS men over there.”

Zelda followed Urbosa’s gesture towards the side of the stage and twisted back into the soft cushions of the chair. “No worries, they’re harmless,” she smirked. Dimly she heard the audience respond to their jesting, but it wasn’t a prevalent noise from where the stage was positioned. “If it makes you feel better, whatever you ask can be our little secret.”

“Oh, fantastic because I have a good one,” Urbosa set down her call cards all at once and sat at the edge of her chair, leaning her elbows on her lap like they were schoolgirls gossiping. “Did you bring anyone home after the ball?”

There were noises in the audience that made the Queen look at the display behind her. It was a slideshow of any somewhat attractive man that attended the event a couple days ago.

A thick blush crawled up her neck that Urbosa noticed immediately – because she did it on purpose.

“Tell us about the afterparty and if the country can expect a king soon,” Urbosa grinned as a wolf whistle played over the speaker. It went without saying that the famous talk show host and the Queen had been friends for years and with every appearance came playful jabs at her singleness. The private knowledge of doing this just so it made Zelda flustered was only a bonus.

“Urbosa, you do this every time,” she laughed. “And you know I hate to disappoint you.”

“Darling, you could avoid that and announce a wedding date exclusively on my show.”

That made the Queen give a bashful smile and the live audience laughed loudly again.

“My deepest condolences,” she finally said. “There is no one in my sights and I don’t plan there to be any in the immediate future.”

“You heard it hear first folks,” Urbosa somberly said to the camera. “Thank you Queen Zelda for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us today. Up next! The Indigo-Go’s are here with their junior album. When we get back, let’s talk about it.”

The show wound down into a commercial break. Zelda breathed a sigh of relief when the bright lights dimmed.

As she rose from her seat, Urbosa held their hands together.

“Thank you so much, Urbosa,” Zelda grinned. “It would be impossible to get the word out if not for you.”

“Absolutely, I’m happy to help a friend,” she heartily laughed, “You act as if having Hyrule’s queen on is a detriment to my ratings.”

“I know, but still. You have no idea how close I was to screaming when I mentioned anything before the House last session. It’s like their hearing is selective when it comes to me.”

“Well, here’s to hoping, right?”

A stage crew member hobbled up to Urbosa and whispered quickly into her ear before hurrying off. She sighed, “I’m so sorry, Zelda. Makeup wants me. Text me when you find time for us to catch up, darling!”

They shared a short hug before another member pulled her away. Zelda didn’t loiter long. She never liked being on sets with all the bright lights and given direction. There were many elements to her job that involved preplanned niceties, but television was the worst offender. The way people tended to treat her was so overtly disingenuous; Urbosa being the only exception.

Zelda made a mental note to text her for a planned lunch. Her feet found the backstage as she thumbed through the list of thoughts she made for herself this morning.

“Your car is waiting out back,” a low voice caught her by surprise.

Link was walking behind her, seeming to have just gotten off the phone. She let him take the lead because he somehow knew every exit to any convoluted building they entered.

When they reached the door, there were bustling noises outside. Link gave her that questioning look and she gave him to go-ahead to open the door. Afternoon sunlight hit her first, then the flashing clicks of cameras. Surprised screams of people reached her ears before her eyes could adjust to the sunlight. Swiftly, she carved a carboard expression for the paparazzi.

A reassuring hand on her back pushed her forward. Zelda’s vision soon cleared to see her detail and the show’s security loyally keeping the fans and gossip reporters back. Metal guards were put down, but it didn’t stop their shouts.

“Your Majesty tell us about your relationship with Prince Facad!”

“I love you, Queen Zelda!”

“When will there be a suitor ball? We want a king!”

“Are you secretly engaged to Facad White?”

“Please sign my shirt!”

The smile continued until the car door slammed shut and Link was able to climb in on the other side. He gave two taps on the driver’s shoulder that told him to step on it. The Queen let her shoulder’s drop as the vehicle lurched forward. Her bodyguard whispered a short word into his earpiece and watched through the back window as they peeled away.

Zelda nestled into the seat and kicked off her heels.

Link spoke up first, “How did you meet _th_ e Urbosa Snapdragon?”

The question did what it was intended, making her scoff before a sweet grin covered the signs of stress.

“Oh, gods,” she said wistfully, “Remember when I told you how I convinced Dad to let me go to a public university for two years? A lot of our theater classes aligned and… I don’t know… we got paired up for nearly every project and I stayed at her dorm for _hours_ watching the most outlandish Gerudo dramas.”

“You took theater?”

“Minored in it. I’m a born politician,” her head lulled to look at him with a grin. “Easy classes to ace.”

They rattled on like childhood friends. Like always, he found her easy to talk to. Link can always tell when she was speaking to him. It was so much different than when she made public appearances, but her voice was still like the coolness of clean bedsheets and through the years it adopted an irreplaceable familiarity to his ears.

The remainder of the day went on as normal. She attended parliament and ran through the list of e-mails at her computer until the clock hit five and that was what separated today from any other day.

Today was the first Friday of the month.

Giddiness made her smile once she found her purse. Zelda had changed out of her suit and into a simple sundress. Malon texted her with a list of movies she had bought and she typed back at a dizzying pace. A knock at the door caused her to push it open and she met Link with an infectious happiness.

“You don’t have to come, you know,” she said as they bounded down the halls. “I enjoy driving.”

“You can drive and I’ll wait in the car then,” he deadpanned, thumbing the car keys in between his fingers and ignored that he quite enjoyed the bothered look on her face. “Because that means you’re telling me that you aren’t going to drink when the Lon-Lon family owns the oldest winery in Hyrule.”

“I’ll ask Daruk then,” Zelda sniffed indignantly.

“Now it sounds like you’re trying to avoid me, Your Grace.”

That made her glare at him, “No, it does not, _Mister_ Forester, because I want you to spend your Friday night doing whatever it is you wish doing.”

“Daruk has a wife and four kids. I’d think that they would mind more than me.”

Embarrassment made itself known on her cheeks before she had the sense to turn away.

“Hurry up,” she turned just barely, and Link had to walk faster to keep up with her skipping.

* * *

“ _Shh_!” was what he heard first as footsteps rustled the gravel in front of Malon Lon-Lon’s manor. Over the hills, he could see the lights of Castle Town. There were dainty giggles the closer the two women got. Link reached over and pushed the passenger door open.

“Shut up, Zelda!” Malon squeaked out, consequently snorting. It made Zelda doubled over in silent laughter until she could breathe. The red head held her up, partially leaning on the blonde to keep herself upright.

“You did not!”

“Oh, but I did,” Malon breathed in, stumbling over the gravel with a sharp curse. “And I told him to sod off. I mean what kind of moron thought that that coat was _it_?”

“The media’s posterchild Prince Facad White, love,” Zelda laughed herself into the car seat, having to brace the center console. Malon folded her arms in the open window.

“I’m going to send him hate mail,” she declared with an upturned nose.

“No, you aren’t.”

“I’m going to get all of my designer friends to harass his stylist on Twitter.”

“Malon!” Zelda sputtered. “He’s still the prince of Arcadia!”

She scrunched her nose. “Not his stylist, honey!”

They shared another fit of wobbly laughter and Malon turned her gaze to Link.

“Get her home safe, Link,” she smiled. “I love this girl. If anything happens and I don’t get to design her summer solstice gown, I’m coming for you first.”

She gestured “I’m watching you!” with her pointer and middle fingers.

Link grinned, “I expect no less from you, Malon.”

“Alrighty, Zelda, go to sleep!”

“Goodnight!”

Link pulled the car onto the paved residency road as Zelda played with the radio nobs until she found something she liked. The car hummed along into the night and he absently wondered what was on her mind. Probably counting how many more months until she had the time to do something like this again.

Summer cicadas filled the night air.

She sighed with a blissful smile, “Hi.”

For a moment, he let his eyes wander away from the road. “Hi.”

Her words were lazier than they usually were. Zelda let her legs stretch and she leaned against the side of the door to look at him. It was a wonder how expressive her eyes were.

“Are you going to tell me or are you going to make me ask?” Link looked over at the road again, pulling to a stop to let the estate gates open. It wouldn’t be too long of a drive. They were only twenty minutes from the city limits.

Her eyes squinted at him from across the car and she said, “It’s a bit rude that you can just read my mind when I can’t read yours.”

“I’m almost positive that I’m legally bound to answer any question you can think of,” Link’s eyes flickered to hers.

“No, I very much prefer you to answer on your own volition,” she frowned. It was a harmless joke, but the subtle truth in it soured her already muddled head.

“Does it bother you that much?”

Quietly, she debated herself for a moment.

“Maybe a little.”

“Okay,” he rested his elbow on the car door, somewhat matching how she sat. “How about you ask whatever is on your mind and if I don’t want to tell you – I won’t.”

Zelda pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, then a silly soft laughter bubbled from her, “I wish I wasn’t drunk. I can’t think of anything – Oh! No, I’ve got one. What do you think of that Arcadian prince?”

“Who?”

“You know the one. Facad White,” she shook her head and ran her index finger under her eyes to see if her mascara smudged. It hadn’t and even with her hair in disarray, she looked… well… Link couldn’t think of a word that was proper for someone of his station.

Her bodyguard quirked a brow, “Why should I have an opinion of your romantic partners?”

At her lack of response, he looked over. It seemed like she was in deep thought.

With a soft tone, almost thoughtful, she said, “I never said anything about it being romantic. Why does everyone assume…”

Her voice trailed off and she mumbled something to herself, now more interested in scrutinizing the patterns of her sundress. Link felt a pang of guilt. He opened his mouth to apologize, but her mood had already shifted. With a slanted smile he only ever saw when she was in this state, her green eyes met his.

“Why shouldn’t you have an opinion?”

A part of him wanted to smooth the loose strands of hair that fell in her eyes so he could see that green clearer, but he gripped the steering wheel instead.

Link shrugged, “I guess I don’t look at it as having that much weight.”

“We’re talking about the future _King_ of Hyrule,” she was dead serious, but a glint in her eye made him stifle a grin so he could match her demeanor. “The last time a checked your file, it said you were a Hyrulean citizen. Unless that’s changed, that means you are fully entitled to have an opinion and I wish to know it to appease my constituency.”

“My opinion on Facad White?”

“Yes.”

“He seems a little… pompous.”

She gawked, “That’s _all_!”

He shrugged, “I don’t know the guy. Doesn’t really seem fair.”

“Humor me.”

“Gods, I don’t know,” a tinge of laughter lined his words. “I heard at the ball, he said something rude to Daruk. Aryll sometimes mentions when he’s on television. Again, I don’t know, but you’ve spoken to him. What’s your opinion?”

“My opinion,” Zelda echoed, watching the scenery unfold as they pulled onto the highway. It was the time of night where there weren’t that many cars of the road. Link always wondered if she ever got sick of the city, but it never seemed like it. The people? Absolutely. But never the city itself. The woman was a shoo-in for it, but he also suspected she’d fit in anywhere with a personality like that.

“My opinion is if he learned how to close his mouth, he’d be _infinitely_ more attractive.”

He hummed, “So, does he have a chance?”

Zelda looked up at him oddly, “Does he? What do you think?”

The way she said it made him worry if she wasn’t playing around anymore. She sat back in her seat, “I’m sorry. That was a silly question.”

The only sounds were the gentle rumblings of the engine and light songs from the radio. She had chosen that acoustic indie folk channel, the same one that he sometimes catches her listening to in her office.

“I think he has a fake accent,” Link suddenly said over the silence. It made her look up; surprise turning into a certain astonishment. “And I’m not a man for fashion, but I think Malon was right. The peacock coat wasn’t it.”

That made her laugh and her laugh made him happy.

Zelda raised her eyebrows, “Does he smell bad too?”

“Oh, yeah. Really bad. Bet he wears a toupee.”

Her laughter sloped to new volumes as they exchanged qualities that were most certainty false. From him wearing platform shoes to having oddly long toes, it was all complete nonsense. But he couldn’t stop smiling at her happiness and the more outlandish their claims were the more it heightened. Eventually, they pulled into the back gates of the castle.

Before he could get out to open her door, she stopped him.

“So, he doesn’t have a chance,” Zelda bit her lip lightly.

He tore away from the sight and shrugged, “Make your own conclusions from it.”

Her smile threatened to devolve into another fit of giggles, “I have one conclusion. You’re jealous.”

Link watched her closely. She was leaning both of her elbows on the center console and leered at him. One of the straps to her sundress had slipped and her hair was now fully released from her loose braid. His eyes lingered on her smudged lipstick.

“Can I be honest with you?” his gaze flickered up to hers.

She nodded and his hand left the door.

“I prefer my queens without a king.”

The corner of his mouth hiked into a lopsided smile and he climbed out of the car.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if anyone will notice but Facad White is a character from that shitty Zelda cartoon that everyone hates. I was looking to see if I could substitute the prince for a canon character that wasn't Ganon or an OC and he's kinda perfect - other than how his first name is actually Facade, I took the 'e' off so it looks more like a real name.


End file.
